A high-level team of diplomats and negotiators are today continuing efforts to locate an Irish aid worker and her Ugandan colleague who were taken hostage in the Darfur region of Sudan last week.
Sharon Commins (32), from Clontarf, was among three people kidnapped by armed men at a compound run by Goal in the north Darfur town of Kutum on Friday night. She was taken from the compound along with Ugandan colleague Hilda Kuwuki (42) and a Sudanese security guard. The guard was later released.
A team of Irish diplomats and negotiators – including Ireland's Ambassador to Egypt, Gerry Corr, who also has responsibility for Sudan; director of Irish Aid Brendan Rogers and Lieut-Col Ollie Barbour of the Defence Forces – arrived in Khartoum yesterday to assist in efforts to secure the release of the two women.
Some of the Irish delegation will today meet with the Sudanese authorities as well as officials from other embassies whose citizens have been abducted in the past.
Others arrived in the north Darfur capital of El Fasher, 120km southeast of Kutum this morning, UN officials said.
"They will be there for as long as it takes," Ireland's honorary consul in Khartoum Ronnie Shaoul said. "They are there to negotiate with whoever may have abducted the two women ... They have a few thin lines to work on. There have been lots of rumours and hearsay but nothing concrete."
He added the delegation was still waiting to hear from the kidnappers three days after the abduction, and had no information on their motive.
In a statement released to
The Irish Timeslast night, Sudan's ambassador to the UK, Omer Mohamed Ahmed Siddig, who is due to arrive in Dublin on an official visit tomorrow, said the Sudanese government is "co-operating fully" with the Irish authorities on the case.
"The embassy of the Republic of Sudan regrets deeply the abduction of two aid workers of the Goal team . . . and condemns utterly those who are responsible for carrying out this dastardly act against those who are doing very valuable humanitarian work for the people of Darfur," Mr Siddig said.
"I would like to assure the families of Sharon Commins and that of her colleague Hilda Kuwuki that the Sudanese government is doing everything in its power and humanly possible to secure their safe release as soon as possible and [to ensure] their safe return to their loved ones.
"The government of Sudan is co-operating fully with the Irish authorities and I will brief the Irish authorities of any progress in achieving the freedom of Ms Commins and Ms Kuwuki."
The kidnapping is the third time foreign humanitarian workers have been seized in Darfur in four months. Two groups of foreign aid workers kidnapped in Darfur in March and April were released unharmed.
Goal founder and chief executive John O'Shea said six armed men seized the three staff after entering the agency's compound in Kutum at 8.30pm on Friday. He said the security guard had been freed, and was being interviewed by police seeking to find details about the incident. Mr O'Shea said he was hopeful the aid workers would soon be found safe and well.
"We hope this is an issue of people looking for ransom money," he said. "It can't be a political matter as we have never taken any sides in the conflict here over the seven or eight years we have been working in Darfur. I'd imagine it is an issue of criminality."
Mr O'Shea said the guard told investigators that six men armed with AK-47 assault rifles also took mobile phones and a computer belonging to the aid agency. "That suggests to us – but I can only say suggests – that they might be interested in having our contact details," Mr O'Shea said. "It gives us a little hope that they will make contact. Because obviously if we are not able to find them, we would like them to find us."
Ms Commins has been working with Goal for four years and in the Darfur region for the last 18 months. She has a degree in communications from Dublin Institute of Technology and a master's in international relations from Dublin City University.
Flora Hillis, Sudan country director for Goal, who is based in Khartoum, said the kidnappers had not yet established contact.
"We have no news about where they are, who has taken them or why. We are waiting for the important first contact and, once that has happened, we will do everything we can," she said. "Darfur is a big place and all we can do at the moment is hope for a speedy resolution."